By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — It’s been two weeks since 200 of the town’s senior citizens were treated to a very special night — The Real Senior Prom — and they’re still buzzing about the experience!
They are sharing their photos, recalling the laughter and the fun they had dancing, walking the red carpet and their professional photo shoots in front of a beautiful backdrop. Many of them have sent handwritten notes to Senior Center Director Kim Manzelli thanking her. While thrilled with their response, Manzelli is the first to offer the accolades to the two people who brought the Real Senior Prom to fruition — Peter Accolla and Laina Simone — and to Ultra Chic Events, whose dazzling decor and catered meal transformed the function hall at the Hillview into a dreamy oasis. Ultra Chic takes immense pride in ensuring each experience at the function hall they now run is unique and memorable. The dance floor was hopping all night long with upbeat music and plenty of line dances, party trains and a few waltzes.
“Peter Accolla had reached out to me to volunteer his time at the Senior Center just after I started as Director last year,” Manzelli recalled. “He has transformed so many senior lunches into lively, wonderful social events where folks end up dancing midday! When Peter approached me with the idea of having the Real Senior Prom, I thought it was fantastic.”
“Laina Simone, who has volunteered her time every Valentine’s Day for many years, coordinating Valentine’s gift drive for seniors, partnered with Peter to have this idea come to fruition,” Manzelli said. “Peter and Laina fundraised and were able to cover the entire cost of the event. They collaborated with the North Reading Friends of the Council on Aging, and hosted an absolutely fabulous event, to show North Reading seniors they are truly a valuable part of our community.”
“Ultra Chic at the Hillview paid attention to every detail to be sure the night was elegant and beautiful for all that attended,” she added.
Accolla, who has been in the entertainment business for over 30 years, told the Transcript, “This has been one of the best events I have done in my entire career – the feel-good aspect of it – I knew it would make a difference to give back to the seniors in North Reading. Our country as a whole doesn’t take care of our elders. When I started doing it, so many people lined up to help,” he said, explaining that people sincerely want to help others but it simply takes one or two people to “spearhead” a great idea to make it a reality.
“People do care and do want to help this community,” he said.
“I have been in town 22 years and have done all kinds of events here, but I have always wanted to do something for the seniors. My friend and neighbor Laina (Simone) introduced me to Kim (Manzelli) when she got the position.” He offered to play music for at lunch for a couple of hours several times throughout the past year and saw how much joy the music brought out in them.
Having heard of this idea of a “Senior Prom” held in another state, he proposed bringing it to town. Manzelli liked the idea and that’s when he brought Simone on board to help with the fundraising. In a matter of a few days they raised $9,000 on Facebook to cover the cost of every ticket to ensure the event was free for all who wanted to attend.
Then they lined up Benoit and McCarthy Photography and Black Tie Videography, and when combined with his DJ’ing and Ultra Chic’s venue, a memorable night fell into place. Volunteers also answered the call to help on the day of the event at the venue to ensure all the seniors could participate fully if they needed any assistance getting to their seats or up onto the dance floor. All the seniors walked the red carpet and had formal portraits taken too.
The Friends of the North Reading Council on Aging supported the event too. The ladies were given a tiara to wear and every attendee was given a raffle ticket upon entering the hall. At the end of the night, the tickets were drawn to crown their Prom King and Prom Queen — Peter Lachiana and Marsha Oest.
“It is amazing to see how so many local residents, businesses and volunteers came together to support this wonderful event. And more amazing to see how one idea and two friends could put this together in such a short time frame!” Manzelli said.
“The Senior Center has been buzzing with excitement after the prom,” Manzelli said. “It has been absolutely heartwarming to see folks sharing their videos, pictures and stories. Everyone that attended can’t say enough about how much fun they had.”
One hand-written note to Kim Manzelli summed up the feelings of so many seniors: “Thank you so much for such a wonderful prom. It has been a very long time since I had so much fun. From the bottom of my heart, thanks!”
See more photos from The Real Senior Prom here.